Fire-extinguishing apparatus



Jan. 22, 1957 H. G. HASTERT ETAL FIREEXTINGUISHTNG APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 31, 1954 INVENTORS HARLA N G. HASTERT ARTHUR B. GUISE all Jan ZZ, 1957 H. G. HASTERT ETAL FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 31, 1954 INVENTORS HARLAN G. HASTERT BY ART HU 2 rr R B. GUISE United ttes FIRE-EXTINGUISHENG APPARATUS Application August 31, 1954, Serial No. 453,224

4 Claims. (Cl. 169-31) This invention relates to a fire-extinguisher apparatus for holding and dispensing a pressurized fire-extinguishing agent. The apparatus is applicable to many diiferent types of fire-extinguishing agents including, pressurized liquids, vaporizing liquids, foam-producing solutions, compressed gases, liquified gases, or fire-extinguishing dry chemicals. More specifically, the invention relates to a fire extinguisher in which the pressurized agent is contained in a sealed container and in which a means is provided for rupturing the seal and a means to provide control of the flow of fire-extinguishing agent after the seal has been ruptured.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein--- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of the fire-extinguisher apparatus showing the container before the seal has been ruptured,

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the head end of the fire extinguisher showing the nozzle in the closed position after the frangible seal has been ruptured, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the head end of the fire extinguisher showing the nozzle in the open position with the frangible seal ruptured and with the fire-extinguishing agent flowing through the nozzle.

Referring to the drawings, the extinguisher comprises a cylindrical container 2 for storing a suitable fire-extinguishing agent 1 therein, such as dry chemical, foamproducing solutions, carbon tetrachloride and the like. The container 2 is provided with a pickup tube 3 which extends to the bottom of the container 2 and is retained at its upper neck portion 2a so as to terminate short of a frangible seal or disc 4 retained in the neck portion by washers 5 and 6 which in turn are retained by threaded plug 17 retained in the neck portion 2a. The neck 2:: is externally threaded for receiving a removable head 8. An insert 15 is provided at the lower end of head 8 which is internally threaded to engage the threaded portion of the neck portion 2a. A gasket 16 is positioned between the head 8 and neck portion 2a to provide a leak-proof seal.

The head 8 is internally bored at 9 to receive a vertically movable plunger 10 surrounded by a plurality of spaced sealing washers 11 which are compressed by a spring 18 intermediate the washers which are retained in the bore. The lower end of the plunger 16) is provided with a cutting edge 12 which is adapted to pierce the frangible seal 4. The cutting edge 12 normally terminates just short of the frangible seal 4, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The plunger 10 is also provided with a sealing plug 13 which normally is in sealing engagement with a sealing seat 14 retained in head 8 by retaining ring 14a.

The head 8 is also provided with a handle 25 which is integral therewith, as shown in Figure 1. A trigger Z6 is pivoted on handle 25 on pivot 27. The upper end 28 of the trigger engages the upper end of the plunger atent 2,778,434 Patented Jan. 22, 1957 10. A coiled spring 29 is positioned between an extension 30 of trigger 26 and the upper portion of handle 25 and is retained in place by bosses 31 and 32. The spring 29 normally urges the trigger to the inoperative position shown in Figure 1.

The head 8 is provided with an internal nozzle bore 45 which constitutes a nozzle forv emitting a stream of fireextinguishing agent 1 stored in container 2. The bore 45 is adapted to receive and retain therein nozzle tip 46 provided with a plurality of orifices 47 for controlling the character and contour of the stream emitted from the nozzle bore 45. The nozzle tip 46 is preferably constructed as disclosed in Patent 2,484,943 October 18, 1949. The inner end of bore 45 communicates with a passageway 48 which is connected with the vertical bore 9 of the head 8 previously described.

The upper space 1a of the container 2 is filled with a propellant gas, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide, under suitable pressure which will eject the fire-extinguishing agent stored in the receptacle upwardly through the tube 3 when the frangible seal 4 is ruptured.

In using the apparatus described, when the trigger 26 is pulled, as shown in Figure 3, depressing the plunger 10, the cutting-edge 12 will pierce the frangible seal 4 permitting the pressurized fire-extinguishing agent 1 to flow around the sealing plug 13 which has been moved away from the seat 14 and then flowing outward through passageway 48, orifices 47 and discharge passage 45. Sealing washers 11 held in place by spring 18 prevent the flow of the fire-extinguishing agent along the upper portion of the plunger 10. When the trigger 26 is released after the seal 4 has been punctured, as shown in Figure 2, the spring 29 returns the trigger 2a to the closed position raising plunger 10 so that sealing plug 13 contacts the seat 14 in the bore, thereby stopping the iiow of fireextinguishing agent.

It is advantageous to use a frangible disc to retain the fire-extinguisinhg agent in the container as a leakproof seal is assured until the disc is ruptured. With the relatively simple structure described the desirable intermittent discharge characteristics of a valve have been combined with the leak-proof characteristics of a sealed container. With the present design it is possible to remove the exhausted container after the extinguisher has been used and to readily replace it with a filled container so that the extinguisher is again ready for use. The container is relatively inexpensive and may be discarded after use while the head assembly which is a more expensive part of an extinguisher may be used on the new container.

Changes and modifications may be made in the specific construction previously described which are intended to be included in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A fire-extinguishing apparatus comprising a container for storing a pressurized fire-extinguishing agent, a frangible disc for sealing the mouth of said container, a removable actuating head comprising a housing having a passage therethrough, a sealing seat in said passage, a discharge conduit connected to outlet of said housing passage, an axially movable plunger positioned perpendicularly to said frangible disc, the lower end of said plunger being provided with a cutting edge adapted to pierce said frangible disc, said plunger being provided with a sealing plug positioned above said cutting edge, a lever for actuating said plunger, said plunger being adapted upon actuation of said lever to pierce said frangible disc and allow passage of said fire-extinguishing agent through said housing passage and discharge conduit and a spring associated with said actuating lever, whereby upon manual release of said lever said plunger is there- 3 after actuated away from said frangible seal to position said sealing plug in sealing engagement with said sealing seat and effect a pressure tight seal, said sealing plug sealing with and aided by the pressure in said container.

2. A fire-extinguishing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein there is provided a seal body for retaining the frangible disc and means for removably securing the seal body in the mouth of the container.

3. A fire-extinguishing apparatus comprising a container for storing a pressurized fire-extinguishing agent, a frangible disc for sealing the mouth of said container, said frangible disc being threaded to the mouth of said container, a removable actuating head comprising a housing having a passage therethrough, a sealing seat in said passage, a discharge conduit connected to the outlet of said housing passage, an axially movable plunger positioned perpendicularly to said frangible disc, the lower end of said plunger being provided with a cutting edge adapted to pierce said frangible disc, said plunger being provided with a sealing plug positioned above said cutting edge normally engaged in said sealing seat, trigger means for actuating said plunger, said plunger being adapted upon manual actuation of said trigger means to pierce said frangible disc and allow passage of said fire-extinguishing agent through said housing passage and discharge conduit and a spring associated with said trigger means, whereby upon manual release of said trigger means said plunger is thereafter actuated away from said frangible seal to position said sealing plug in sealing engagement with said sealing seat and effect a pressure tight seal, said sealing plug sealing with and aided by the pressure in said container.

4. A fire-extinguishing apparatus comprising a container for storing a pressurized fire-extinguishing agent, a frangible disc for sealing the mouth of said container, a removable actuating head comprising a housing having a passage therethrough, a sealing seat in said passage, a discharge nozzle connected to the outlet of said housing passage, a plunger movable axially in said passage and positioned perpendicularly to said frangible disc, the lower end of said plunger being provided with a cutting edge adapted to pierce said frangible disc, said plunger being provided with a sealing plug positioned above said cutting edge normally engaged in said sealing seat, trigger means carried by said removable head for manually actuating said plunger, said plunger being adapted upon manual actuation of said trigger means to pierce said frangible disc and allow passage of said fire-extinguishing agent through said discharge nozzle and a spring associated with said trigger means, whereby upon manual release of said trigger means said plunger is thereafter normally adapted to be actuated away from said frangible seal to position said sealing plug in sealing engagement with said sealing seat and effect a pressure tight seal, said sealing plug sealing with and aided by the pressure in said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,236,960 Salmond et al Apr. 1, 1941 2,558,409 Allen June 26, 1951 2,586,088 Reeves Feb. 19, 1952 2,681,707 Mapes June 22, 1954 

